The dog musing/vent thread

Sekah

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Is that 5 minutes for an entire session or five minutes working on a single behavior? My batsharks will happily take turns, practice staying while the other works, and switch activities every few minutes for hours on end. They also offer behaviors constantly and hang out on their perches just in case I feel like giving them a cookie.
Entire session, really.

A lot of dogs will happily go all day, but there can be a decrease in clarity on part of both the dog and the handler, and relying on long sessions to communicate a behaviour can become a crutch at worst, and is simply unnecessary at best. Again, I'm specifically thinking about sessions where you want to accomplish 'X' expeditiously -- longer =/= faster.
 

pinkspore

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Yeah, my goal for marathon training sessions is usually to get them to stop bugging me. If we just stuck to a couple of short sessions a day I have no idea what we'd do with the rest.of our day.
 

Dogdragoness

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The only thing I can't do is repeat the same exercise over and over again, especially if he got it "right" the first time, he is like "WTF, why are you making me do it again? I did it RIGHT!" Because he takes me making him repeat something as "he did it wrong" (I didnt TRAIN him like that, he just thinks that way).
 

Cali Mae

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I think someone, either my mom or the sitter, has been sneaking Cali food while I've been away. I've always been super strict about not giving Cali food and normally everyone is pretty good about it, so Cali has never been a beggar... she's able to leave people alone even if they're eating on the couch.

But the other night, my mom brought me home chicken wings and Cali hopped up on the couch and whined the entire time I ate them. I forgot what it was like to have a dog begging for food... Moses used to be horrible about it, but Cali has never begged and has always been good. So I'm hoping it was more of an isolated occurrence rather than an actual issue.
 

Dogdragoness

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I think someone, either my mom or the sitter, has been sneaking Cali food while I've been away. I've always been super strict about not giving Cali food and normally everyone is pretty good about it, so Cali has never been a beggar... she's able to leave people alone even if they're eating on the couch.

But the other night, my mom brought me home chicken wings and Cali hopped up on the couch and whined the entire time I ate them. I forgot what it was like to have a dog begging for food... Moses used to be horrible about it, but Cali has never begged and has always been good. So I'm hoping it was more of an isolated occurrence rather than an actual issue.
That is the one positive thing about having a dog with a sensitive constitution, is you can hang "If my dog needs a vet because of something YOU gave them, then you will be paying for it!" over people's heads, and that usually curbs people giving him anything LOL.

The only real issue is when I go to pet stores and the employees try to give him things and I have to stop them, some dont even ask!
 
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Glitch met a turtle today. It was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him. Was it an animal? A rock? Somehow, it was both? He was in full on Wacky Whippet Weasel Dance mode. I finally moved it before he could give it a stroke.
 

Dogdragoness

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Glitch met a turtle today. It was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him. Was it an animal? A rock? Somehow, it was both? He was in full on Wacky Whippet Weasel Dance mode. I finally moved it before he could give it a stroke.
Lincoln sees these on occasion when it floods here and they have to move, he is all like "bark bark, I want to HERD thee!"I dont let him harass them LOL.
 

Maxy24

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After speaking with the manager about Tucker's "issues" I've signed him up for a basic obedience/manners class at the new little pet store down town. Class starts next week (first class is no dogs though). I'm super excited but a little nervous about how he'll behave. I used to think we'd never be able to take normal classes but after seeing how non-reactive he is in the vet's waiting room I think we're probably going to be okay.
 

amberdyan

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After speaking with the manager about Tucker's "issues" I've signed him up for a basic obedience/manners class at the new little pet store down town. Class starts next week (first class is no dogs though). I'm super excited but a little nervous about how he'll behave. I used to think we'd never be able to take normal classes but after seeing how non-reactive he is in the vet's waiting room I think we're probably going to be okay.
I was in a class where someone had a pretty reactive dogabs they eased her into it. They put up a partition and slowly moved it away each class. By the end she wasn't barking or lunging at all. She'd stiffen up occasionally but was easily redirected.
 

Slick

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UGH Leo has a hot spot on his foot. He had one a few months ago, and it literally took a month for it to heal up, because he would not leave it alone.

I have bitter wrap and bitter apple, and he hates the taste of both, and he still takes it off. He knows I don't like him messing with him, so he will sneak off to lick/take it off.
He is constantly trying to sneak off as I type because he wants to lick it, and I keep having to call him back to me. He'll completely leave it alone, and then I go to the bathroom for thirty seconds and I hear him just licking it like bad.

I really don't want to have to put him in a collar for weeks for a stupid hotspot :wall:
 

pinkspore

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After speaking with the manager about Tucker's "issues" I've signed him up for a basic obedience/manners class at the new little pet store down town. Class starts next week (first class is no dogs though). I'm super excited but a little nervous about how he'll behave. I used to think we'd never be able to take normal classes but after seeing how non-reactive he is in the vet's waiting room I think we're probably going to be okay.
Yay! Be prepared to patiently and repeatedly inform other handlers that yes, your dog really does need his space. Hopefully it will be discussed at the first class, but I've found some people just don't really process/understand it.

I really don't want to have to put him in a collar for weeks for a stupid hotspot :wall:
If you put a collar on him it probably won't take weeks to heal up. We douse hotspots in Veterycin at work, and after seeing most clear up within a few days we've started plopping cones on anybody. Some even dry up overnight.
 

Maxy24

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I was in a class where someone had a pretty reactive dog and they eased her into it. They put up a partition and slowly moved it away each class. By the end she wasn't barking or lunging at all. She'd stiffen up occasionally but was easily redirected.
Yay! Be prepared to patiently and repeatedly inform other handlers that yes, your dog really does need his space. Hopefully it will be discussed at the first class, but I've found some people just don't really process/understand it.

The store manager showed me the training room, which is large (bigger than the store actually) and told me they only enroll 5 dogs per class (and at the moment only 3 are enrolled including Tucker). They discourage people from letting their dogs interact with other dogs or people from interacting with other people's dogs. I'm very used to and comfortable telling people to not interact with him so no problem there. The room is a large rectangle except at one corner there's a nook where she said they will place a dog who needs more space and can put up a barrier if need be. The trainer of the class I'm taking works extensively at shelters (worked at animal rescue league of Boston) so is very familiar with reactive behavior. The manager then went on to tell me how being reactive shouldn't keep us from being able to do stuff together, that many, many successful sports dogs have some level of reactivity, including most of the trainers' dogs (which I knew but it's still nice to hear someone who has faith in your nutcase of a dog when most people wonder why we ever kept him).


I keep flip flopping on how he'll be. Part of me thinks he'll be an absolute rock star, part of me thinks he'll be too worried to learn at first but non-reactive, and part of me thinks he'll be okay for the first couple of times but once he's comfortable with the place will start reacting. I guess we'll find out!
 

Slick

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Well, I discovered why Leo's hot spot isn't getting any better despite having him in the cone of shame for a week.
Apparently the stinker has figured out a way to still get at it.

Today I bandaged it up with neosporin because we were going outside and I didn't want it getting muddy, and went to take a shower. When I got out of the shower the bandage was gone and the wound enflamed :madgo:

I tested it out with some peanut butter on his other hind foot, and he just presses the (pretty sturdy so he presses hard!) cone until the edge bends over and he can reach his foot.

I don't know what to do :confused:
 

Bigpoodleperson

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Unfortunately you are probably going to have to get a longer/bigger collar. Would he bother the bandage if you spray bitter apple on it? Bandages are tricky though because of little circulation, moisture and temptation for them to lick/chew it off.
 

Slick

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Unfortunately you are probably going to have to get a longer/bigger collar. Would he bother the bandage if you spray bitter apple on it? Bandages are tricky though because of little circulation, moisture and temptation for them to lick/chew it off.
That's what I ended up doing.

Little old 40lb Leo now uses a Saint Bernard collar :rofl1:. So far it seems to be working.

I'd already tried bitter apple and bitter bandages and while he hated the taste it didn't stop him
 

Maxy24

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Had our first class today, it was orientation though, so no dogs, but we all introduced ourselves and our dogs. There were three other people and I'm a little bummed because all of the other dogs are puppies (once they hit 6 months they can't be in puppy class) and big dogs. A bloodhound, a pit/boxer type thingy, and a lab/pointer type thingy. The bloodhound is only 4 months, pit/boxer is 6 months, didn't hear how old the lab/pointer was but under a year. On the one hand Tucker is going to look so much better behaved than them (yes, I'm a terrible person), on the other hand there is almost zero chance of him ever warming up to them and making friends (not the point of me going but I sort of hoped he might make a friend).

Home work this week is charging the clicker, practicing sit, and getting the dog to immediately look at you when you say his name.


The trainer was great. She asked us all to talk about the issues we're having with our dogs and she gave a little bit of advice to each of us, all of which was advice that jives well with me. The boxer/pit bull mix's owner said her dog was dominant so the trainer gave a lesson on what dominance really was and how it's used to describe dogs way too much and how we can be good leaders without using fear/pain. She also told the girl that her dog is likely fearful and insecure rather than dominant, at least with people (dogs might be a different story, hard to say without seeing it). Anyway, I really like the trainer. She did seem a little rushed though (class went over time) and over simplified/skimmed over a few things, like the purpose of a clicker, which wasn't a big problem for me this time around since I knew what she was talking about but I do worry some of the other people might not follow.


Anyway, I'm really excited for next week!
 

Slick

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Welp, I guess Leo STILL can get past even the Saint Bernard cone. I might actually have to buy him a basket muzzle or something. :mad:
 
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Welp, I guess Leo STILL can get past even the Saint Bernard cone. I might actually have to buy him a basket muzzle or something. :mad:
Wow, Leo sounds like he either has super strength or insane intelligence :eek:

Guys can we talk about how fast puppies grow? This is from 10 weeks to 18 weeks:



Where did my puppy go????
 

Slick

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Wow, Leo sounds like he either has super strength or insane intelligence :eek:
It's actually insane flexibility. I think if the hotspot was literally anywhere else, he wouldn't be able to reach it because the angle wouldn't be right. But he can bend his neck really really far back and bring his back foot really really far forward, and well, they meet. He can only get to the tip of his foot, but that is exactly where the hot spot is unfortunately.

Today it seems like its a little better, so fingers crossed that continues.
I've been sticking him in his crate with his cone on when I leave for short times, because that prevents him from getting at it, since he can't turn his head back with the cone in his crate. But its miserable for him, so I refuse to do that while I am gone for work.
When I'm around, I can leave him without the cone, and he won't lick it because I scold him if he even starts to think about it (and interestingly enough, he teeth chatters). So that's nice for him at least.
 

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